Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-11-30
SAM HouSTos's SECRET.

-rsa=L d. Af~Er lHIrE1E
The Reason why HIS Deserted His
Bride ana Went to live Among In
lndials-A Mystery Cleared Up.
81. Louis Letter: Ihe blank in thu
history OF the famous Sam Houston ha,
at last been filed up. 1t Will be remem
bered that after living for some time
among the Cherokee Indians ana fight
Jog III the war OF 1872 he settled in Ten
nessee, began the practice of law, wa.
twice elected to congress, and in 1927
was elected governor Of Tennessee, and
III January, 1923, lie vas married t thu
belle OF Tennessee, and in less than Two
months after his marriage he suddenly
resigned the goyernorship, deserted his
wife and home m disappeared. This
created an intense sensation throughout
the country, as Houston was regarded as
the most promising man in the south,
The cause ST Houston's resignation OF
the governorsbip, his desertion Of his
bride, and his abandonment of the path
OF civilization, hts always been IA
mystery. He never revealed it himself
to his civilized friends. A staff cor
respondent of the st. Louis Republican,
sent to TahleQuah, Indian territory, to
write up the Indian troubles, obtained
from undoubted authority facts that
clear up this mystery.
When Houston resigned the governor.
ship he rode straight from Tennessee's
capital to the Arkansas river. He fell
In with band OF Usage Indians near the
present site of Fort Gibson, told them
he desired to live with the TRIBE, and he
@aa welcomed. He donned O breech-
eloGt and blanket, shaved his head to
the crown, and dsnbed his face with
pant. He cut himself off entirely from
civilization and lived with the Indians.
For q tune he WAS o leader and mar
ried IN Indian girl, but afterward he be-
came IA drunkard. While under the in
[~iuence OF whisky he told the story OF his
Hight from Tennessee to John JorIey, an
Indian companion. Jofley told 1t to
Wolf Star, and from the latter the cor
respondent got it.
Houston's wife married him to please
her parents. She had been previously
engaged to u young msn in Nashville,
but under parental influence, broke of
the engagement and accepted Houstcn's
offer of marriage, and, Ill view of his
prospects, 1t WAS thought che mads q
brilliant match He loved the young
Woman, and was made to believe that
she returned his affections. Houston
had no knowledge of the previous en-
gagement, and his wife managed to
maintain outward oheerfuluess for some
time. He returned home one night
about IL O'Clock and his wife was in bed
and she was weeping. The husband was
solicitous and the wife fretfui. He ask
ed what caused her tears, and she gave
30 satisfactory answer. lie importuaea
her, and at last she told HIM.
She SAID she was bad, wicked woman
that she did not love her husband, but
loved another man; that she could never
love her husband or forget the otter
man, and that her life was miserable.
She confessed that for some time before
she had been engaged to marry Houston
she had maintained Illicit relations with
the other man. Houston never said a
word, but Immediately went to bis office
wrote his. resignation Us governor, sad
died a horse and rode into the wilder
ness. This ia the mystery of Houston's
life as revealed by himself.
Houston kept a little store among the
Indians and always had q barrel of
whisky on tap. He drank all the time.
In this way he lived for 9 couple of
yesrs. He finally went to Texas, where
his brilliant career as a soldier In the
Texas war, as president of the Texas re
| public and senator from the state OF
Texas is we'll known.